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Your go-to source for yarns, insights and advice from the heart of the Startmate Nation.

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What happens inside Launch Club?
Launch Club
What happens inside Launch Club?

By

Bell Allen

December 17, 2025

Whhhhhhat is Launch Club? Is it for meeeee? If you're asking these questions, fear not 🦹 We are here to answer all your qualms.
WTF is Launch Club? (and do I need it in 2026?)
Launch Club
WTF is Launch Club? (and do I need it in 2026?)

By

Bell Allen

December 17, 2025

Founding is ah lonely (sometimes). In Launch Club you get to build alongside world-class operators, mentors and founders. Learn more about the pre-accelerator (and wtf that means)
A new chapter at Startmate: After 8 mighty years, Batko is stepping down as CEO
GBU
Community
A new chapter at Startmate: After 8 mighty years, Batko is stepping down as CEO

By

Holly Brooks

December 2, 2025

After eight mighty years as CEO of Startmate, Michael Batko (aka Batko) is passing the baton onto Phoebe Pincus (prev COO), effective immediately. 
Rebuilding the Foundations of Play: In conversation with Marina Zmi, Iggy
Launch Club
Rebuilding the Foundations of Play: In conversation with Marina Zmi, Iggy

By

Bell Allen

November 24, 2025

The first time I met Marina Zmi, she had that spark you see in early founders who’ve turned frustration into true momentum. Her startup, Iggy, is a design-led construction system for kids.
Reimagining non-fiction for ADHD minds: In conversation with Amy Jørgensen, Shortwired
Launch Club
Reimagining non-fiction for ADHD minds: In conversation with Amy Jørgensen, Shortwired

By

Bell Allen

November 24, 2025

Award-winning composer Amy Jørgensen is turning self-improvement on its head with Shortwired, ADHD-friendly audio summaries that help listeners learn fast and act faster.
Building Smarter from the Ground Up: In conversation with Zander Schweitzer, Alloovium
Launch Club
Building Smarter from the Ground Up: In conversation with Zander Schweitzer, Alloovium

By

Bell Allen

November 24, 2025

“I spent my fifth birthday in the back of a bulldozer at the Port of Brisbane," he said. Now on the cusp of finishing his civil engineering degree, Zander’s building something new.
Unlocking the Workouts We Already Love: In conversation with Gemma Snyman, PHYT
Launch Club
Unlocking the Workouts We Already Love: In conversation with Gemma Snyman, PHYT

By

Bell Allen

November 24, 2025

Your saved workouts rarely get you off your Instagram feed. Right? We’re surrounded by workouts that light a spark and Gemma Snyman has a simple theory: the problem isn’t motivation, it’s momentum.
From Sketches to Full Flight: In conversation with Samuel Gonzalez, Peregrine Dynamics
Launch Club
From Sketches to Full Flight: In conversation with Samuel Gonzalez, Peregrine Dynamics

By

Bell Allen

November 24, 2025

The first time I came across Samuel Gonzalez, he was explaining drones like most people talk about playlists - modular, adaptable and made to fit the moment.
Reframing Success through the Women Fellowship: In conversation with Rohana Wood
Women
Reframing Success through the Women Fellowship: In conversation with Rohana Wood

By

Bell Allen

November 24, 2025

When Rohana Wood joined the Startmate Women’s Fellowship, she wasn’t new to startups. But after moving back to Australia from Singapore, she found herself wanting something different.
From Solo Clinician to Startup Explorer: In conversation with Rosie Tiernan
Women
From Solo Clinician to Startup Explorer: In conversation with Rosie Tiernan

By

Bell Allen

November 24, 2025

Rosie Tiernan has always followed her curiosity. A trained audiologist with a background in allied health, she’s worked across large corporate clinics and eventually opened her own practice.
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Recent articles

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AI coaching for aesthetic clinics: In conversation with Rob Scott and Neil Osborne, Clinara

Taylor Jackson

July 10, 2026

Rob and Neil are building Clinara, an AI companion that helps aesthetic clinicians find the words for what they already know, turning clinical skill into confident conversations.
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Building the off switch for an always-on world: In Conversation with Sally Wood, Kinrest

Taylor Jackson

June 18, 2026

Sally Wood is building Kinrest, a screen-free sensory companion that helps children settle into sleep by calming their nervous system.
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Speaking everyone's language: In Conversation with Minh Cung, Hyperlocalise

Taylor Jackson

June 18, 2026

After six years in the localisation industry, Minh Cung kept noticing the same problem. Companies would expand into global markets, and their messaging just wouldn't translate.